Stunning Failures, Softer Words From Mayor

Two people speaking at a podium with microphones — Photo: Sergey Nivens / Shutterstock

As new proof of massive welfare fraud piles up in Minnesota, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is doubling down on emotional defenses of the Somali community instead of demanding hard accountability for taxpayer theft.

Story Snapshot

Mayor Jacob Frey tells Somali community “we see you as our family” and vows solidarity as fraud cases tied to Somali-run groups grow.^[1]
Federal prosecutors say a Feeding Our Future mastermind helped steal about $250 million from child nutrition programs.^[10]
House Oversight Committee reports “stunning failures” by Minnesota leaders who ignored warnings about rampant fraud.^[14]
Frey rejects “collective blame,” calling Trump’s focus on Somali-linked fraud attacks on the whole community.^[3]^[10]

Frey wraps Somali community in praise as fraud scandal widens

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey spent Somali Independence Day telling local Somali residents, “We do not see you as immigrants. We see you as our family,” and, “You are our brothers. You’re our sisters … we stand with you.”^[1] He praised the community’s “resilience, culture, and leadership” and said Somalia’s diaspora has “done so much” for Minneapolis.^[2] His language was warm and personal, aimed at reassuring a community he says is “under attack” from federal enforcement and conservative criticism.^[3]

Frey’s speech did not focus on numbers or case files. Instead, he framed Somali residents as neighbors who enrich the city and deserve protection from broad suspicion.^[1] He has appeared in multiple videos and posts celebrating Somali Independence Day and stressing that Minneapolis is proud to host one of the largest Somali communities in America.^[5]^[7] For many conservatives, this heavy emphasis on praise looks like political messaging that sidesteps the tough facts about fraud tied to some organizations led by Somali immigrants.^[1]

Massive Feeding Our Future fraud exposes failure to guard taxpayer dollars

While Frey talks about love and solidarity, federal prosecutors describe a sweeping scheme that abused a child nutrition program and stole roughly $250 million meant to feed kids.^[10] A federal jury found the Feeding Our Future mastermind and a co-defendant guilty, after evidence showed they falsely claimed to serve 91 million meals that never happened.^[10] The Minnesota Legislative Auditor later reported that at least 70 people were charged with crimes including bribery, wire fraud, and money laundering linked to the program.^[11]

House Oversight Committee investigators say Minnesota agencies under Governor Tim Walz ignored clear warnings that fraud was exploding in these programs.^[14] Their report speaks of “stunning failures” and a culture of looking the other way as taxpayer money flowed to sham meal sites.^[13] Whistleblowers told a state fraud panel they were told not to “rock the boat” or raise concerns, because they would be labeled “racist or Islamophobic” for pointing at specific Somali-run groups.^[12] That fear of woke accusations helped shield wrongdoing and kept honest officials from acting sooner.

Debate over “collective blame” and Trump’s focus on Somali-linked fraud

Frey insists that “you cannot hold an entire community, any community, responsible for the actions of individuals” and says fraudsters should be prosecuted “as individuals, not as a community.”^[10] In interviews, he has said he will “damn right” stick up for Somalis, stressing that many Somali residents are his own banker, babysitter, and security detail.^[3] He argues that Trump’s rhetoric about Somalis “taking over” or running “scams” unfairly paints all Somali immigrants as dangerous because of the crimes of a few.^[9]^[10]

Jacob Frey praises Somali community as Minnesota faces renewed scrutiny over fraud investigations https://t.co/KTtpO7lM7Q #FoxNews

Kissed up to his voters.

— 99 Horns (@Aahpham) June 29, 2026

President Trump and his allies point out that many defendants charged in the Minnesota fraud schemes have been identified as members of the Somali immigrant community by federal and state reports.^[2]^[11] For them, this is about enforcing the law wherever evidence leads, not about attacking an entire ethnicity. The core constitutional principle is equal treatment: if an organization steals taxpayer money, it should face consequences, whether leaders are Somali, white, or anything else.^[10] Conservative critics argue that Frey blurs this line by speaking as if strong enforcement itself is an attack on Somalis as a group.^[1]^[3]

Constitution, discrimination claims, and the need for proof

Frey has called immigration raids and targeted operations “unconstitutional and immoral,” accusing the Trump administration of “villainizing an entire group” and warning of likely due process violations.^[6]^[9] Yet legal standards for proving racial discrimination require more than feelings or political disagreement. Federal civil rights guidance says you need either direct evidence of biased intent or strong circumstantial proof, like clear statistical patterns or departures from usual rules.^[15] So far, public material tied to this Minnesota scandal shows fraud and oversight failure, not documented racial bias.

National research also shows discrimination claims are complex and often rely on indirect evidence.^[16]^[19] But in this case, neither Frey nor other Minnesota leaders have produced audits or internal memos proving that Somali-run organizations were picked for investigation because of race rather than because of red flags in their grant records.^[11]^[15] For many taxpayers watching from the outside, the picture is simple: huge sums were stolen, warnings were ignored in the name of political correctness, and now some local politicians are more passionate about defending communities rhetorically than fixing the systems that failed.